NAD Announces New Board of Directors, Meeting, and Open House

Posted August 18, 2008

Delegates at the 49th Biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Conference, held July 7-11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana, elected new members of the NAD Board of Directors.

Elected NAD Board members are:  Bobbie Beth Scoggins, President; Christopher D. Wagner, Vice President; Lynn Z. Null, Secretary; Ronald E. Sutcliffe, Treasurer; Sean Gerlis, Region I Representative; Michael K. Berger, Region II Representative; Liz Hill, Region III Representative; and James “Manny” Johnson, Region IV Representative.

They will join continuing members of the NAD Board:  Julie C. Bourne, Region I Representative; Jack L. Cooper, Region II Representative; Lissette Molina, Region III Representative; and Astrid Amann Goodstein, Region IV Representative.

“The new NAD Board of Directors is ready to take on a more strategic focus,” said Scoggins. “This builds on the synergy of the recent and highly successful 2008 NAD Conference, which was very different from previous gatherings, which in turn provides the impetus for the board to advance the civil, human, and linguistic rights agenda of the NAD, also with emphasis on diversity in every way possible.”

Scoggins continued, “I also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to past members of the NAD Board for their leadership, expertise, and commitment during the last term:  Trudy Suggs, Secretary; Thomas J. Dillon, Treasurer; Yerker J. Andersson, Region I Representative; Linsay Darnall, Jr., Region II Representative; Genie Gertz, Region IV Representative; and Nathie L. Marbury and Thuan Thi Nguyen, Appointed Members. I am also delighted that they have expressed their intent to remain involved with and be of support to the new NAD Board. 

The NAD Board of Directors will hold its first meeting of the new term from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday, August 22 and from 9 am until 5 pm on Saturday, August 23, at the NAD Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.  Agenda items include selection of appointed members, 2008 conference wrap up, approval of board and conference meeting minutes, review of conference priorities and resolutions, establishment of strategic and standing committees, selection of committee chairs and board liaisons, fundraising and membership recruitment targets, and selection of 2010 conference site.  As always, board meetings are open to observers.

Board members will undergo a closed all-day orientation session on roles and responsibilities on Thursday, August 21, with review of governance processes, communication protocol, and transparency. That evening, a small fundraiser generously sponsored by CSDVRS will be hosted at the home of Julie Bourne and Matt Lockhart. This will also kick off NAD Across America fundraisers to be held across the country during the new term.

On Friday, August 22 from 4 to 7 pm, a Community Open House will be held at the NAD Headquarters, made possible by the generous sponsorship of Viable. This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to meet and mingle with the NAD Board as well as tour the Headquarters and meet staff. Open House directions/parking information is available at www.nad.org/boardmeetingdates . Refreshments will be provided; please come and join us!

About NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more.  For more information, please visit www.nad.org .

About CSDVRS
CSDVRS, a video relay services provider, launched its inaugural service to the nation in 2000. By 2001, CSDVRS became the nation’s only 24/7 provider, and also was the first to offer Spanish VRS, video mail, and personal 800 numbers. CSDVRS was developed by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals based on feedback from the nation’s deaf and hard of hearing community. While other providers have followed our lead, CSDVRS is dedicated to that same spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that took VRS from a dream to a reality, by becoming the nation’s premier VRS provider. Visit us at www.csdvrs.com .

About Viable, Inc.
Viable provides next-generation video relay services for deaf and hard of hearing persons that can be accessed wherever there is Internet or wireless connectivity, opening them to a world of communication possibilities. Founded in 2006, Viable is a private, deaf-owned company, and the majority of its employees are deaf and hard of hearing and are personally vested in the innovation and development of the company’s products and services. Further information is available at www.viable.net .